David Aprahamian Liddle died March 28. Born in 1960 and blind since the age of twelve, he served as organist of St. Barnabas Church, Pimlico, UK, since 1985. The youngest English pupil of André Marchal, he also had lessons with H. A. Bate, David Sanger, Marie-Madeleine Duruflé, and Daniel Roth. He was educated at Worcester College for the Blind and St. John’s College, Cambridge, and was assisting organ scholar at King’s College. He studied composition with Robin Holloway. An FRCO Limpus Prize winner, he was awarded the Worshipful Company of Musicians’ W. T. Best Memorial Scholarship.
In 1990 Liddle gave the inaugural recital at Alexandra Palace at the completion of the first phase of that organ’s restoration. The following year he broadcast from there, becoming honorary resident organist in 1992. Between 1991 and 1993 he arranged a series of Sunday afternoon concerts there with guest performers, and he presented concerts there regularly from 2011.
Liddle performed at the Royal Festival Hall as well as many town halls and most of the British cathedrals, including Westminster Abbey and Westminster and St. Paul’s cathedrals. In his tours of the United States he was invited to Yale and other universities and played at Trinity Church, St. Ignatius Loyola Church, and St. Thomas Church, all in New York City. In Paris he performed at Notre-Dame Cathedral, La Madeleine, and Saint-Sulpice.
Liddle’s appearances with orchestra included the Saint-Saëns Symphonie III, the second ever performance of the Organ Concerto by Basil Harwood, and concertos by Handel, Stanley, and Arne with The Handel Collection at St. Stephen Walbrook. In 2011 Liddle gave the celebrity recital for the tenth birthday celebrations of Philip Norman’s Organists Online at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, London. The following year his Missa brevis was sung by the choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge.
Liddle released CDs of organ music on the Priory and Guild Music labels. He also recorded his compositions and other repertoire, available on his YouTube channel.
For information: davidliddle.org.
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